Gordon Shedden heads Mat Jackson in race two at Rockingham

Honda Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden extended his championship lead with a dominant win from pole in the second race at Rockingham, heading home Motorbase Performance’s Mat Jackson, while Josh Cook took a last-gasp maiden podium for Power Maxed Racing in third.

Shedden made a fine start as Jackson passed Ciceley Racing’s Adam Morgan for second, and those three positions remained the same until a dramatic final lap.

Cook had made stellar forward progress from 14th on the grid and had been close to the back of Morgan’s Mercedes A-Class for three laps. Morgan defended stoutly, before Cook launched his Chevrolet Cruze around the outside of Morgan at the Brook chicane at the final corner.

Morgan had to settle for fourth ahead of Shedden’s team-mate Matt Neal, who also made plenty of forward progress after a slow start.

Rob Austin held on to sixth ahead of a charging Jason Plato, the Team BMR man pulling off several demon overtakes on the way to seventh, with Colin Turkington, Jack Goff and Tom Ingram rounding out the top 10.

Ingram’s endeavours also landed him pole position for the final race, after the reverse grid draw made by series director Alan Gow.

After a formation start, Jackson passed Morgan in a decisive move at Yentwood, before Cook started making his forward charge on the fourth tour by passing Jeff Smith at Deene.

Neal also passed Smith on lap four after deposing of Hunter Abbott on lap three, before Cook passed Austin at Deene on lap six.

Fortunes were not so great for Cook’s team-mate Dave Newsham, who retired his crabbing car after contact with West Surrey Racing’s Nick Foster at Deene on the same lap.

The Chevrolet then passed Turkington at Deene on lap eight and Goff at Yentwood on lap nine, before Abbott was turned around at Pif Paf and Rob Collard had to take to the grass in avoidance.

Neal continued his charge, passing Austin, Turkington and Goff in consecutive laps to take fifth by lap 11, before Support Our Paras Racing’s Derek Palmer Jr was turned around unceremoniously by Team Parker Racing’s Alex Martin.

As the race entered its closing stages, Plato made a demon move on West Surrey Racing’s Sam Tordoff and team-mate Turkington in one move at Deene, before quickly catching and passing Goff.

The drama continued right up to the final corner, with Shedden’s win extending his championship lead to 20 points.